THE METAPHYSICS of the 

IATURE AND IN THE 
CONCEPTION of 
[^ the SOUL- IT'S 
HABITAT? 







'^'■' 



Class. 

Book ^ 

Copyright N°- 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 



THE METAPHYSICS of the 

NATURE AND IN THE 

CONCEPTION of 

the SOUL.-IT'S 

HABITAT? 



BY 
JOSEPH CLEMENTS, M.D. 

Member of the American Association for the 
Advancement of Science 




BOSTON : 
THE ROXBURGH PUBLISHING COMPANY (INC.) 



3TW 



COPYRIGHTED 1909 

BY JOSEPH CLEMENTS, M.D. 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 



€ci.a:^535;>8 



TO MY MOTHER. 



Whose earth Hfe ended during my sixth 
year, yet whose maternal psychic manipula- 
tions and influences during the soul dawn- 
ing and coming into egoism, and whose 
after, all too brief, yet effective guiding and 
incitation have followed and abided with me 
thru life, making possible and into actual 
realization a soul life of the highest degree 
of happiness and of almost infinite satisfac- 
tion, this wee volume is with filial affection 
dedicated. 



PREFACE. 



THIS little book is offered as the author's 
mite in contribution to the evolu- 
tion progress of the human race. It sets 
forth what the writer believes and here 
claims as in a good degree evidenced to be a 
true conception of the nature and the origin 
of the soul. 

Not that this is considered as final, but that 
if and when finality may be reached it will 
be found to be consonant with the basal 
facts out of which it has grown. The facts 
upon which this philosophy of the soul is 
built are and always will be deemed the 
true facts in the premises, whatever their 
interpretation in the finality. 

This brief thesis is presented as a new 
conception of the soul. The facts are noth- 
ing new ; they are the true facts in the prem- 
ises, whatever their final interpretation of 
their meaning. 

No conception of the soul — which in- 



8 THE METAPHYSICS 

eludes the mind — yet broached, with a basis 
in scientific facts, is consonant with the dig- 
nity of its nature and powers, as evidenced 
in that of which it is competant — the powers 
and the possibiHties as seen in soul achieve- 
ments, and in foreshadowed potentialities 
which have not been attained. An evolutional 
grade of soul nature and capacity in concep- 
tion has not as yet been reached. Current lit- 
erature as to this specific problem suffers 
from and evidences this fact. 

In his recent work, 'The Mental Factor 
in Medicine,'' used so largely in the new 
''Emmanuel Movement of Mental Healing/' 
Dr. Schofield takes the position that the 
zvhole body is the organ of mind. This is 
quite an advance upon former theories of 
the brain as the organ of mind, or the solar 
plexus, or primal gland, or Haeckel's 
"Phenomena," or his "thought centers," and 
"cells," agreeably with his "gushing" atoms, 
or molecules competant to "lover's ardor." 
The articles of Sir Oliver Lodge on "The 
Immortality of the Soul" (now in book 
form), and other discussions in the Hibbert 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 9 

Journal, and recently published volumes, as 
'The Mind and the Brain/' "Brain and Per- 
sonality," etc., all of the highest learning 
and skill yet inconsonant with a view of the 
soul in its larger inheritance and potentiali- 
ties and destiny. It is only pseudo-science 
that is ''constantly bringing us back to the 
earth, to the ground underfoot." There is 
great difference between earthly ideas and 
interpretations of the earth-facts which are 
associated with mind and soul on that basis, 
and a conception and interpretation of those 
facts from an evolutional status of survey 
and estimation. 

The suggestion is ventured that a con- 
ception of the soul cognate and consonant 
with its nature as evaluated in view of the 
actual exercise of the soul powers would 
have forestalled and prevented much of what 
appears from the facile pen of John Bur- 
roughs in The Atlantic Alonthly, April, 
1908, "The Divine Soil." He says: "In 
chemical affinity, in crystalization, in the per- 
sistence of force, in electricity, we catch 
glimpses of a kind of vitality that is pre- 



lO THE METAPHYSICS 

liminary to all other. ... Is there a prin- 
ciple of fire ? of crystalization ? Just as much 
as a principle of life. . . . The gulf be- 
tween disorganized matter (i^/iorganized?) 
and the crystal seems to me as great as that 
between the organic and the inorganic. 
. . . We shall probably have to come to 
accept this view — the view of the mechanico- 
chemical theory of life an unpalatable truth, 
like the discovery of the animal origin of 
man, or that consciousness and all our fine 
thoughts and aspirations are the results of 
molecular action of the brain. . . . We shall 
probably sooner or later be brought to accept 
the . . . theory of the physical origin of 
the soul, that it is not of cellestial birth ex- 
cept as the cellestial and terrestrial are one. 
... Human and helpless before the ques- 
tion Svhat for?' when asked of the totality 
of things! Then let us be silent — and 
reverent."* 

I shall at least assume the temerity of 



*The italics are mine! but "Tell it not in Gatli, 
nor publish it in Askalon," that John Burroughs 
says this! 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. n 

affirming that the facts in the premises above 
are not so, nor do they warrant the con- 
clusions conceded. The above author does 
not profess to be a scientist, nor does he 
show the scientific spirit or method in deaHng 
with these great and vital problems. For 
instance, at the outset of the paper we read : 
'1 like to think, etc. ... I like to think/' 
etc.j and then proceeds to discuss, and in a 
measure dispose of the questions of ''the 
creative energy vitally related to the great 
cosmic forces/" of ''red corpuscles in the life 
current of the Eternal,'' and of "the fiery 
mists out of which planets came.'' The 
"high-flying dreams of man, his aspirations, 
arts, bibles, religions, literature, philosophies, 
heroes, saints, martyrs, sages, poets, proph- 
ets," and whether or not "all these lay folded 
in the fiery mists out of which this planet 
came," are matters demanding the profound- 
est scientific acumen, and in this sentimen- 
talism may play no part. Only the severely 
scientific attitude and method are competant 
and allowable in dealing with such problems, 
and I want to discount the influence of the 



12 THE METAPHYSICS 

honored named involved in these serious 
errors in conclusions, as I deem them. The 
measure of the soul's evaluation in nature 
and status, which the following pages pro- 
fess to evidence, will forbid such a view or 
interpretation of soul-facts, and a clean 
breast and confession that a large motive in 
the object of this brief and tentative, yet 
suggestive essay, is that it be in its measure 
corrective of the banalities of the recent wide- 
spread trend of so-called scientific thought to 
give a mechanico-chemical explanation of 
life, shall be the final word in this prefatory 
page. J. C. 



PRELUDE. 



THIS is the most fundamental of all 
questions, and is basic in all cosmic 
philosophy. The latest step in philosophic 
thought has brought to the point of recogni- 
tion that a philosophy of the universe must 
take into account, and as a chief factor in 
it, man himself who constructs the philoso- 
phy. He may not stand outside and observe 
the phenomena at a distance and so interpret. 
The explanation must include and account 
for himself too. This is eloquently set forth 
in discussions in the last quarterly of The 
Hibbert Journal, 1907, and particularly by 
Editor L. P. Jacks, under the title 'The 
Universe as Philosopher." Anthropology 
and psychology as branches of science, to be 
sure, are included in the sum total of an 
universal philosophy but, ''Man's place in 
nature," and particularly his uniqueness as 
effective in the philosophy of nature, have 
scarcely been given their fundamental im- 
portance, and the differences and the incom- 



14 



THE METAPHYSICS 



petency of the varying systems which have 
been in vogue may be traceable to the incon- 
sonant and the incompetent conceptions of 
man, and of his factorship, which is so large 
in the creation of the philosophy itself. 
Hence the fundamental and primal import- 
ance of the subject before us. 

And the age, the hour is pregnant with 
soul thought. ^'What is man/' etc., in the 
words of David, King of Israel, uttered sev- 
eral thousand years ago is today, and more 
specifically, the question of the nature and 
the characteristics of the soul, and even the 
vexed question of life is overshadowed or, 
perhaps, rather absorbed into the larger one 
of the soul. 

The trend of scientific thought of the re- 
cent decades has been to give a physical ex- 
planation of life, a mechanical accounting 
for the cosmic phenomenon, with but a very 
dubious and inconsequential success up to 
this hour. This, however, has not pushed 
God out of the universe, or out of the living 
world, even. In merging the life problem 
with that of the human soul or mind, as is 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 15 

evidently the result, the imminence of the 
presence of the All Mind has been empha- 
sized. And besides, in lessening, if it be 
done, the mystery of life, and in bringing 
into greater prominence the soul as a cosmic 
factor to be interpreted, the area of investi- 
gation or battle-ground is narrowed or lim- 
ited as to the dynamics of the physical and 
mechanical. For scientific thought will war- 
rant the position that in dealing with soul we 
are removed farther from the gross and phy- 
sical than with life. 

Life, whatever it may be, has a physical 
basis in protoplasm or the living matter, and 
as a concept it is limited to what is possible 
only in relation to and in association with 
the physical. There is, therefore, some 
plausibility at least in the possibility of such 
interpretation in over prominence of the phy- 
sical basis as to find life itself explained 
away, apparently. This, modern science 
(which may not be all scientific) has to a 
degree done. But in the question of the soul 
the area of ground for work is, not to say 
shifted, but changed somewhat by modifica- 



l6 THE METAPHYSICS 

tioti, and the power and the play of the physi- 
cal and mechanical are more circumscribed, 
while that of the psychic and higher is 
larger. In the presence of soul or mind, 
while still related, we are nevertheless less 
bound or limited in our facts and data than 
in the means and methods in interpretation 
of mere life. The physical factors and their 
activities, wdiich are confessedly basic in in- 
terpretation of life, as a special force or 
otherwise, are not in evidence dynamically 
to the same degree, certainly, in solvement 
of the higher problem of the soul, and the 
validity of the distinction of soul and the 
physical is more apparent, and recognition 
more readily secured than with life in the 
scale of the balance. In other words, the 
soul is less competent of a physical explana- 
tion than is life or vitality. 

It appears to the writer that the gist of the 
conception of the soul or mind— the former 
inclusive of the latter — as exploited in re- 
cent and present discussion of the soul, its 
immortality, etc., is not fully consonant with 
its true nature and character, as evidenced 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 17 

by the facts of soul phenomena. Some fun- 
damental facts are not fully recognized, much 
is assumed not consonant with soul facts 
and phenomena, and much of the soul prob- 
lem is left uninterpreted, so that no theory 
of soul conception is even reasonably satis- 
factory. Braving the temerity of the at- 
tempt an essay is here made to present a 
view of the soul more in harmony with the 
facts, and with the status of man as a cosmic 
factor, and a fundamental factor in cosmic 
philosophy. In so great an undertaking it 
behooves to start rightly."^ 

Before directly attacking the problem let 
me explain and then dismiss, at least pro- 
visionally, the query in the title. 

It is in consonance with the principles of 

logic to designate as our subject-matter, the 

nature and characteristics of the soul, but 

not ''habitaf or whereabouts. Habitat or 

"seat'' is not self-evident as inhering to the 

question without argument, nature and char- 

*I shaU have to use the terms phenomenon and 
phenomenal in graded and accommodational 
senses, to meet the exigencies of the metaphysics 
of the discussion, readily discernable and allow- 
able, however. 



l8 THE METAPHYSICS 

acteristics do so inhere. So that association 
of habitat or location in ''seat/' is both bias 
and confusion in the metaphysics of the sub- 
ject. ''Habitat'' in the title of this study I 
have used querilly, and to discount its im- 
portance in consideration, because it is thus 
improperly connected in such discussions, 
leaving it, however, for inclusion in debat^^' 
if the facts basic in the conception of the 
soul formed warrant or demand the same. 
Non-recognition of this cardinal principle in 
logic makes facile misplacement of basic con- 
siderations, so that a minor or incidental fac- 
tor may occupy the place, and exert the in- 
fluence of a fundamental, and the argument 
be vitiated at the outset, or the philosophy 
be false in its foundation thereby. 

The bain and bias of "seat" as cognate 
with the soul in consideration to an extent 
prejudges the matter, gives unwarranted 
direction to thought, and entails limitations 
in orientation or point of view, with conse- 
quent abridgement of mental horison. 

That the effect of this is dire, and seri- 
ously so, is seen in Haeckers "Monistic Phil- 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 19 

osophy/' ill the notion that atoms 'Jeel and 
think:' They are supposed to come to- 
gether by 'The Law of Substance" ''gush- 
ing/' and under the influence of ''lovers' ar- 
dor f' The idea is further materiahzed in a 
**phronema/" and in ''thought cells" and cen- 
ters as the "seat of the mind.'' All this, 
however, and from the first, is a foregone 
conclusion and without argument from the 
bias of habitat in atoms. Now, the entity 
and phenomena, if there be the former of 
these two as to mind, are not immediately 
associated with the physical, and particular- 
ly not in so narrowed and localized a man- 
ner as the atomic and molecular involve — 
mind phenomena are not effected there, and 
in such a localized status as that. Physics 
and chemistry as modernly exploited fully 
account for molecular, atomic and corpuscu- 
lar phenomena so that it is arbitrary and un- 
warranted to unnecessarily introduce and 
localize the more mystic psychism of mind 
here. A satisfactory explanation and ac- 
counting for of the factors and their motions 
in molecular physics is at hand, it is the more 



20 THE METAPHYSICS 

multiplex and complex and, one might say, 
complicated, of factors and phenomena that 
mind is immediately associated with, if at 
all. 

More grossly materialistic still is the no- 
tion of ''thought a secretion of the brain!'' 
And it is on a par of such thinking that cer- 
tain physicians, who ought to know better, 
are endeavoring to ascertain the weight of 
the soul as it passes out of the body at death ! 
The soul surely is not a fluid, or a thing of 
atoms and molecules. Why, a fair-sized 
molecule is only about one one-hundred-mil- 
lionth of an inch in diameter, the smallest 
of souls could not domicile in such quarters, 
or put itself on exhibition on the basis of 
such proportions. The distinction of what 
may be termed the enti tally identical and the 
phenomenal is a metaphysic of the highest 
importance in the conception of the soul, and 
having come to this point I may venture. 
The Affirmation : 

The soul is a psychic entity^ which be- 
comes entitally personal by or through the 
functional physical organism. 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 2I 

Look at the statement reversely. A physi- 
cal organism, actively functional, the soul a 
psychic personality acmean in the phenome- 
non. 

This involves that the soul and the life are 
in relation, in organic association — the soul 
includes the life. 

Now, the essence in the conception of life 
is the fact and the principle of organisation. 
In nature, and in the character of its phe- 
nomena life is organic, expressing not ener- 
gy, but qttality, though inclusive of energy. 
Life phenomena are energetical, but they are 
organised activities, and are unique in this 
fundamental particulate, having no counter- 
part in all known cosmic phenomena. And 
full grasp of this concept of the organic is 
prime and fundamental to an adequate con- 
ception of the soul. Hence L linger a mo- 
ment here. 

Life has a physical basis in bioplasm or 
living matter, and the life energy is made 
entitally phenomenal, consonant with its 
physical basis, in organized functional activi- 
ties. Life phenomena as to its physical (a 



22 THE METAPHYSICS 

distinction warranted by the fact of its phy- 
sical basis, which is distinct from that of 
which it is the basis) originate and initiate 
in the protoplasmic activities. Life may 
designate the energy, organic the quality, 
this qualitative factor inhering to the concept 
of life, since the protoplasmic and all the 
physical processes accruing are organized or 
associational. And this concept of life, to 
which all its facts and phenomena bear testi- 
mony, no single fact contravening, of life as 
a potency organic in quality, is the key to its 
origin, as well as designative of its physical 
processes, and it is therefore in relation with 
prior life, and has been passed on from germ 
to germ, from cell to cell, and must be so in 
order to its continuance on the earth, nor is 
there any other mode of derivation, or of 
spontaneity. 

The organic, therefore, is the associa- 
tional, the organized and governed. System, 
relation, dependance even are characteristic 
of the organic. There are included con- 
geries of functions and processes, associated 
in the whole, cycling and related and inter- 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 23 

dependent in detail. The human body (as 
also throughout the plant and animal world) 
is the product of these organized phenomena, 
and is itself, and at the same time — during 
its entital evolution — the factor and agency 
in the effecting of the phenomenon. No 
function of an organism is achieved in isola- 
tion, for sectional relation and interdepend- 
ance characterize the whole. 

And in a large and cosmically general 
sense the universe is an organism, and is 
governed systematically. No planet can ex- 
ist of itself, no planet or twin stars effect 
their phenomena independently, they act 
orbi-annually, many have moons or attendant 
bodies, and order and association obtain. 

All of this — the specifically associational 
in the living world, and its entail of evolu- 
tion in the functional and the physical — is 
dynamically of and with the germ by heredi- 
tary endowment. The life of the germ, and 
of the daughter cell is received from the prior 
living cell, so that, given the conditions in 
environment and the germ potential phenom- 
enon comes to achievement. It is evident, 



24 THE METAPHYSICS 

therefore, that the organism is potentially 
entital, in possibility to effect — ''potency and 
promise" — (Huxley) before the body ap- 
pears. All of this is comprehended in the 
organic as it applies to and inheres in life. 

In the same manner — kind and degree — 
in like qualitative entity with property and 
power, with relation by association both 
prior and to proceed, the soul is potentially 
entital, and in association with the life germ, 
and in process and progress of evolution to 
entital personality. This conception of the 
soul's nature, its origin and entital identity 
is formed on the basis of the organic, which 
includes the evolutional and the hereditary. 
These are essential factors in any adequate 
conception of the soul, for it is derived, 
parentally and ancestrally and cosmically, 
trecking back through the potentially or- 
ganic and cosmical. I introduce the follow- 
ing collection and collation of facts and con- 
siderations, a necessary repetition in brief 
instances, in evidence and support of the view 
of the soul here afifirmed. 

The argument in detail and cumulative. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE organic, which is associational and 
cycHng in process and function, the 
completion of the cycle in activity of the 
physical factor achieving the function, veri- 
tably evidences two facts or points, first, that 
there is purpose to an end operating in guid- 
ance of the specific organic phenomenon; 
second, that there is distinction in kind of 
factor and phenomenon in the physial pro- 
cess and the function, the latter the outcome 
of the former. The distinction of the func- 
tion is a matter of importance for use later 
in the study. All the processes and func- 
tions are in their congeries serial and pro- 
gressive — in a word evolutional. The prim- 
itive and simple alike make possible and are 
effective in achievement of the more multi- 
plex and complex in the processes and their 
attained functions. These are gradational, 
each group and series in interest of the 



26 THE METAPHYSICS 

higher or that yet to be. This is organic, 
evolutional, and evidences the qualitative 
factor which is directive and determinative 
to the ends in purpose of realization. 

We are, then face to face with a psychic^ 
which is not a physical but a qualitative 
property, inherent to all life energy, and 
constituting the organic of life. Distinct 
in the concept from the energy or dynamic 
factor of the organic, yet of it and with it, 
this qualitative psychism constitutes the or- 
ganic to be a potency to effect in achieve- 
ment of the congeried, the cycling physical 
activities, with their functions on functions. 
It also marks a distinction in kind of factor 
and phenomena peculiar and unique to the 
organic or living. There are distinct lines 
of demarcation between the physical phe- 
nomena and this psychic, qualitative factor 
or organic property. Indeed, there is an 
intermediary, clean cut in difference in con- 
cept between the qualitative psychic and the 
physical activities putting the psychism on 
exhibition — giving it entity. I mean, ftmc- 
tion, the functional. No one looks for or 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 27 

thinks of the purposive psychism operating 
in cell differentation or mitosis, as a particle 
or granule of nuclear matter, even if he sup- 
pose the qualitative property in concept to 
be embodied in or associated with such phy- 
sical entity. To be sure, there may be initia- 
tion of force in action, or change of direc- 
tion in active processes from certain points 
in locality, for cell differentiation in bone is 
not the same as that in a nerve ganglion, 
though both originate from the one germ cell. 
Cell proliferation and differentiation are by 
heredity in the purposive, and ''heredity'' to 
have any meaning is in the organic and the 
qualitative, not the physical or mechanical. 
A spatical concept is unapt of the organic, 
the psychic, and impossible as being strictly 
scientific, notwithstanding that on the basis 
of the organic initiation of physical proces- 
ses takes rise from points that are local. 

In like manner in the concept of the func- 
tional we are outside or above the region 
of the physical. What is function, and 
where located? Is it spatial? What are 
its dimensions? Even here we are out of 



28 THE METAPHYSICS 

and above the sphere of the physical and ma- 
terial. These are distinctions with differ- 
ence, and in kind, as the ratiocinative pro- 
cess makes evident. If one could conceive 
of function without first cognizing the phy- 
sical factors and activities basic in its at- 
tainment, what need of the special senses 
and brain cells in the ratiocinative phenome- 
non in respect of it particularly? But I 
anticipate in the argument. 

The point made so far is that in the or- 
ganic the evolutional phenomena are serial, 
and progressive, and distinctive in kind as 
well as in degree, and that the psychic is 
neither physical nor functional, but is distinct 
from and above and magisterial in direction 
of both. 

This qualitative property of the organic 
is objective in conception of its nature and 
sphere of operation. It is objective of the 
subjective organism, and therefore an equal 
factor and property of all organic life. 
There is the purposive in plant and animal 
and in man as at the zenith, in one word, in 
organic phenomena. It does not originate 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 29 

in the subjective organism, but is a quali- 
tative factor of each living thing and inher- 
ing to its status as organic. It is a prop- 
erty of life, and is of the germ, and is passed 
on with life and all it embraces from cell 
to cell, and from germ to germ. There may 
be seen origination of new centers of life 
activity in the cell nucleus, and within the 
already active living matter of the cytoplasm 
I believe it may, too, be found. All growth 
is from centers, and from within outward, 
a phenomenon nowhere else duplicated in 
all the cosmos, not to be explained on the 
basis of physics and chemistry, and only in- 
terpretable on the principle of an objective 
psychism, inherent to the life germ in its 
organic potentiality, sovereign and directive 
to complete organic evolution. All the in- 
voluntary of the more complex and advanced 
functions and processes, as respiration, di- 
gestion, circulation of the blood and stream^ 
ing of other fluids in determination to equi- 
librium, and many others, all are efifected 
under the guidance of the objective psy- 



30 



THE METAPHYSICS 



chism everywhere qualitative throughout 
the organism. 

As already said full grasp of the concept 
of the organic will give the key to the origin 
of what I might term the entail of the or- 
ganic, that is to say, all that is comprehended 
in and of that to which it is potentially 
competant. Inclusive of the organic is the 
property of life, and its perpetuation, with 
quality and potency automatic or self-direc- 
tive. This as it came by heredity is secured 
by heredity to posterity. On the basis and 
principle of evolution the organic, inclusive 
as it is of life with the objectively psychic 
and purposive, is an advance in cosmic pro- 
gress. This law and principle of the organic, 
the associational was in cosmic vogue prior 
to the appearance of life on the earth. The 
universe is an organism in this large and 
general sense, as indeed cosmic facts evi- 
dence in that relation and association in the 
purposive universally obtain, and coming to 
higher focus in concentration achieved the 
entity of the first germ of life on the earth. 

It may be noted here in passing that the 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 31 

above view of the '^spontaneous'' evolution 
of life on the earth is not in antagonism 
with the position taken by Professor Perci- 
val Lowell, in the article appearing in the 
Feb. issue of the Century, on ''The Evolu- 
tion of Life/' The eminent author assumes 
the facts of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, ni- 
trogen, phosphorus and sulphur as in molec- 
ular constitution, or at least composition, in 
protoplasm, which no chemistry is able to 
evidence, as it is in all inorganic molecular 
matters. Further the well known authority 
states as facts the meteoric supply to our 
planet of matter by which the mass of the 
earth is formed, and out of which by evo- 
lution life arose. On this basis as satis- 
factorily scientific, the ''spontaneous" evo- 
lution of the life germ is affirmed, meteor- 
ites coming at a later period, when cooling 
and mass were attained finding the germ of 
life already existant here. But why assume 
molecular constitution of protoplasm while 
science is not competant as demonstrator as a 
matter of fact? And why affirm the spe- 
cific supply of matter "from which by evo- 



32 THE METAPHYSICS 

lution life arose'' as meteoric f This planet 
has possessed in abundance the six elements 
named as basic in living matter. These com- 
bined and directed in their activities are 
alsufficient to all organic phenomena of their 
kind, that is the physical, the physiological. 
Why the farfetched meteoric matter, with a 
supposed constitution favorable to evolution 
of a life potency, a peculiarity of meteoric 
character of which no conception is possible 
save in hyi30thesis, and which only shifts 
the riddle of life from our planet to the world 
or parent of meteors? We have on our own 
planet the stuff of which the physical basis 
of life is made. Focus in concentrated ef- 
fectiveness the psychism in the purposive 
and directive, which is as diffuse as all cos- 
mic motion, and we are magisterially com- 
petant to spontaneous evolution of our life 
germs, why not? Here, then, is a satisfac- 
torily scientific basis for the true spontaneous 
evolution of life, at the conditional and op- 
portune moment, say, about twenty millions 
of years ago. 

And what a magnificent evolutional con- 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 33 

ception of Mr. Lowell, of the evolution of 
life in the deep seas, with food specific to 
the primal life before plant and plant-eater 
appeared ! 

Returning to our argument, it is cardinal 
in our conception of the organic that the as- 
sociational is regnant effecting the coming 
into entity of the varied factors, their po- 
tencies and qualitative properties as they be- 
come in demand for the evolutional moves 
onward and upward. And the distinction 
in kind of these — factor and process — is 
fundamental. The physical process, the 
function achieved with the phychism direc- 
tive to both in the special and unique phe- 
nomena of the organic, these are by no means 
the same, witness our labors in accounting 
for the origin of life. The physical factor 
and activities evidence the fact of life, but 
are not life. Nor is life fimctioriy tho this 
is indicative and expressive of life. As an 
intellectual concept life is the organic energy 
or potentiality having its physical basis in 
protoplasm. It is associational with the 
prior, hence the hereditary, the entail, evo- 



34 THE METAPHYSICS 

lutionally, of the past. Life as an entity is 
the heir in entail of the cosmic in embryo- 
logic of the organic.'^' 

The general principle of ''directivity" ef- 
fecting the organic phenomenally was and 
is active in the relationship of all cosmic 
factors and phenomena, and as already seen, 
coming to specific effect in the new and 
unique phenomena of the organic. Thus 
this is an advance in evolution grade from 
the general to the special, and in the more 
focused maturity of the psychic directive 
agency. This is in evidence in the evolution 
and growth of the body throughout its em- 
bryologic stage, and entrance upon mature 
organic functionalism in the after-birth life. 



* Since this paper was first written there has 
been published in the Hibbert Journal, Oct.-Dec, 
1907, an article on ''Directivity," by Professor 
G. Homslow, who speaks of the word as coined 
by Professor A. H. Church. I find the term aid- 
ful in this discussion as expressive of what I 
have termed objective psychism, using it in the 
larger and more general cosmic sense, partic- 
ularly. 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 35 

In this it is entirely objective in character as 
in all plant and animal life. This objective di- 
rectivity is more specific in phenomenal ef- 
fect, and more apparent than in the more 
general cosmic drama, and hence to be des- 
ignated as objective psychism, and also as 
precursory to yet farther advances. This 
objective psychic and qualitative factor, ubi- 
quetous as the cell protoplasm, is the compe- 
tent directive agency to the needs-be of all 
organic phenomena up to that of the human, 
and to the needs of the latter organism up 
to a certain point and period, and this, as 
hinted, preparatory to and necessitating the 
farther advance. Necessarily there are lo- 
calized centers where the directional motion 
initiates, and here and in this is our factor of 
heredity. Whether there be a physical fac- 
tor embodying these guiding impulses in 
chromosome or what not (bioplasm is a 
physical basis for life energy) may be mat- 
ter for yet further research. But in all of 
this, I believe the life property of irritability, 
inclusive of almost infinite versatility in re- 
source of response, will be found to be a 



36 THE METAPHYSICS 

large factor in interpretation of the problems 
thus raised. 

After the embryologic and preliminary in- 
fantile, and on into adolescent and adult life, 
no new or additional functions of the phy- 
sical life are brought into existence, only 
progress in development and maturity to 
the higher and more complex is seen, and 
initiation in activity of that already poten- 
tially in vogue. No voluntary functions, or 
voluntary efifort in control of function ap- 
pears in the initial stage of sentient life. 
But after the first few weeks in after-birth 
existence, when the organism has come to 
its kingdom in mature functionalism, at least 
sufficiently so for the great purpose, then a 
Jiezv phenomenon initiates: This is entirely 
psychic ! in kind and characteristics. In- 
strumentalities made use of in phenomenal 
expression are, of course, physical and func- 
tional, itself is neither, but magisterial to 
both. This is a subjective psychism! This 
is thejoul! 

The soul as a subjective psychic entity 
originates nowhere, and at no point in so 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 37 

far as any physical factor, or even function 
gives indication or clue. Certain phases of 
the new phenomenon, the psychic drama, 
have association with the physical factors 
effecting the functions of the organism, and 
these are in initiation of the phenomenal of 
the new entity. Beyond these, or save in 
these neither factor nor function of the phy- 
sical is in evidence as being immediately a 
part or factor of the new entity coming on 
to the stage of action. These are the indu- 
bitable facts and fundamental in the soul 
phenomenon, giving validity to the concep- 
tion of the soul as a subjective psychic en- 
tity. This concept of the nature of the soul, 
and view of its origin and characteristics 
are to be made evident as consonant with 
the approved facts and data of mind phe- 
nomena, no legitimate facts contravening 
this, in the briefest manner and largely sug- 
gestive, in the further argument in this study. 



38 THE METAPHYSICS 

CHAPTER II. 

T T must be well borne in mind that the 
•^ basis of this concq^tion of the soul is 
the concept of the organic or the asso- 
ciational relating, fundamentally, the pres- 
ent in cosmic factor and phenomena with 
the prior. This is vital and fundamental to 
the evolutional. This involves the homo- 
geneous as preceeding and giving issue to 
the heterogeneous, and the general becoming- 
focused in the special. These are thought 
factors competent to the giving a true me- 
taphysical interpretation of the heretofore 
soul puzzle. 

And further, it is emphasized that this is 
a new conception of the soul in that the 
first view suggested is as to its subjectivity 
in distinction to the objective psychic direc- 
tivity which is qualitative of the omnipresent 
cell protoplasm. This is not a local or a 
localizing concept of soul, it is, however, 
specifically an individualizing of the soul, as 
it is meant to be, and as all soul facts do 
testify. The subjective psychism, which 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 39 

constitutes the soul and mind, comes into 
entity in and by means of the individual or- 
ganism, the evolution of the soul giving 
entity and identity at the same time. Sym- 
bolical of this is the prior phenomenon of 
the evolution of the physial organism. The 
embryologic evolution and growth of the 
body is effected by the functions and pro- 
cesses of that identical body while in the 
very process of evolution and development, 
so that a fetus of a few weeks is complete 
as an organism, and its growth is simultan- 
eous thruout, generating its own heat and 
energy in a real tho its own fashion. Po- 
tentially the organism entire is embodied in 
the germ — in potency and promise. 

So of the soul. The soul and the life en- 
ergy are in association, cosmically, wnth all 
energy and psychic directivity, and evolu- 
tionally in and with the organic objective 
psychism. That is to say, that the objective 
cosmic directivity is specialized in associa- 
tion with organic energy, or life, in objective 
psychism, and with a further and evolutional 
specialization of the psychic in subjective 



40 



THE METAPHYSICS 



or sold identity. Cosmic psychism focused 
in organic functionalism in plant and animal 
phenomena, is thus still further specialized 
in subjective psychic identity in the human 
soul. 

Not that the subjective superceed the ob- 
jective in the human phenomenon; a new, a 
specialized phenomenon originates as such 
which, however, while cognate with that 
which is regnant in the physical organism is, 
nevertheless, superior by focus in special, 
acting consonantly a la all evolution. 

So that the soul as subjectively entital in 
individuality or identity is by evolution, like 
as the physical organism, tho by evolution 
in advance and in special. The soul origi- 
nates in its germ conception. Organic in 
nature, and thus in relation with life, it is 
conditioned by heredity. Cosmical by or- 
ganic association the soul is in relation with 
the physical organism by which its entail of 
psychic hereditary potencies are possible of 
phenomenal attainment. 

The fact of heredity as a principle make 
it impossible (as a scientific problem) that 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 41 

the soul ready-made, so to speak, should 
come into or take possession of the body 
using it as its instrument or organ. The 
organic functions are conditional to the com- 
ing into entity of the soul, and at the same 
time the soul gives identity to the man in 
the bodily organism. 

Sir OliA'Cr Lodge says,"^ *'The soul is that 
controlling and guiding principle which is 
responsible for our personal expression and 
for the construction of the body, under the 
restriction of physical condition and ances- 
try. In its higher development it includes 
also feeling and intelligence and will, and is 
the storehouse of mental experience. Life 
is not matter, nor is it energy, it is a guiding 
and directing principle; and when consid- 
ered as incorporated in a certain organism 
it, and all that appertains to it, may well be 
called the soul or construction and controll- 
ing element in that organism." 

Now, unless I misinterpret, this embodies 
the view and position which I am strenuously 
antagonizing, that is, the assumption of soul 

*See the Hlbbert Journal, Jan., 1908. 



42 



THE METAPHYSICS 



as something made already to hand, or like 
Melchizedec without origin or descent in 
his order. Of course I could have nothing 
to say save on the basis of evolution, 
which permits of postulate of the First 
Cause alone. With feet planted firmly 
upon this great cosmic principle it may 
be confidently affirmed of the soul that 
it too is an evolution, fact and factor. Nor 
may it be that soul and life are synonymous. 
Life, mere life is diffuse, abundant in plant 
and animal, so much so as to be common- 
place, if not cheap. Too cheap for every 
life to carry any kind of a soul. Thousands 
of snowflakes are an abortion to one that 
comes to perfection in formation. Of fish- 
spawn, if one in a million of the eggs sur- 
vive it is doing well. The million save one, 
could not have been freighted with souls, or 
what would be cognate to soul concept. 

Life and soul are distinct and different, 
not only in mental concept but in identical 
entity and cosmic factorship. This is more 
consonant with its dignity in status as a 
cosmic entital factor to be taken into account 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 43 

in an universal philosophy. Rather, life is 
a grade of organic factor preliminary in soul 
evolution. Soul and life are both organic, 
and cosmical in relation and in origin or 
derivation, soul being a later and a higher 
evolution in entital identity, and in the 
unique and specialized subjective psychism 
in the new phenomenon, inan. It is siibjec- 
tively psychic by dint of parental and ances- 
tral heredity. The soul is in immediate as- 
sociation by means of parental heredity, for 
life is from prior life, even to the individual 
cell, and with the universal phenomenon by 
the larger ancestral and cosmic heredity. 
Life is impossible as a scientific concept or 
as an entital fact, apart from its organic or 
associationalism. Its energy and its quali- 
tative property are by its heredity, and there 
can be no synthesis of physical matter with 
potencies in organic activities without the 
prior creation or ''jumping of the claim'' 
into the prior parental, ancestral and cosmic 
hereditary energy and directivity, or objec- 
tive psychism. On no other basis may the 
synthesis of living things be achieved. 



44 THE METAPHYSICS 

The sou], therefore, and the position is 
scientifically based, is inclusive of life by 
cosmic ancestral and the immediate parental 
heredity. Certainly, ''the soul is the controll- 
ing and guiding principle," and even in the 
construction of the body, but in a sense and 
manner needing explanation. Life, embody- 
ing as it does the qualitative factor in objec- 
tive psychic directivity, is competent to all 
the organic phenomena in plant and in ani- 
mal until man comes on the stage of action, 
and here and now a new phenomena origi- 
nates in the coming into entity of the sub- 
jective psychism. With the facts and data 
of life and mind before us particularly the 
data of heredity, the soul is seen to come into 
entity as such by germ conception, the crea- 
tion of its identity coming to focus in com- 
pletion here and now\ Each soul is what its 
parental and ancestral heredity condition it to 
be, subject, of course, as in all evolution, to 
its environmental dawning or coming into 
entity, and its progressional determinants. 



OP THE NATURE, ETC. 45 

CHAPTER III. 

The Dawning of a Soul. 

'T^ HE coming into entity or dawning of 
-■- the subjectively ps3^chic soul is objec- 
tive to other souls. This is facile of observa- 
tion after the first few weeks of birth-life, 
and continuing there a number of years, 
more or less, subject in a serious sense and 
degree to the manipulation of the mother's 
influence and hand. Something, though lit- 
tle as yet, is known of the control and direc- 
tion in heredity, of which I do not now 
speak, but only of the subjective phenomenon 
in its initiatory in identity. The soul will 
be what its ancestrol and in particular its 
parental heredity renders it competent to, 
subject to the environmental influences and 
determinants. 

Each soul or mind is different as a per- 
sonality from each and every soul that went 
before or that may follow, the characteristics 
of each being determined as already sug- 
gested. From every viewpoint man is all 
soul in essence, the mind being a congeries 



46 THE METAPHYSICS 

of faculties by which the soul becomes phe- 
nominal as an entital personality. Being or- 
ganic in nature and cosmically associational, 
the soul comes to its kingdom in personal 
identity through the channels of hereditary 
descent, the focused stream being evolution- 
ally extended in each instance, making it ab- 
solute that this must be the soul's first ap- 
pearance as such, as well as determinant in 
the dawning. 

Preparatory and initial in this on-exhibi- 
tion stage of soul evolution are the embryo- 
logic and birth epochs, with several weeks 
of ''sentient'' life in functional maturation. 
Then the subjective asserts itself. There is 
not as yet competence to the '7 think, there- 
fore / am'' soul phenomenon. Self-con- 
sciousness is an experience in the farther de- 
velopment or advanced soul evolution. The 
embryological and adolescent and adult 
stages of physical life are more than sym- 
bolical of soul dawning and evolution, and 
a subjective or self -consciousness is not at 
once attainable, much less made phenomenal 
or expressed objectively. The initial stages 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 47 

of soul growth will be evolution moves from 
the simple to the complex as the facts in 
opening life show\ Consider these. 

A distinguishing characteristic of man is 
his so-termed ''gift of language/' But there 
is nothing in the nature of a gift to him in 
this, for this is so fundamental a part of him- 
self that but for this he could not be at all. 
As the ''logus is related to the universe, 
... is that without which it does not 
exist'' (Sir O. Lodge) the logos is of the 
essence of the soul, and by it the soul comes 
to its individuality. The logos in man is 
more than speech or language — the word 
spoken — it is the psychic or subjective soul 
power in the creation of language, in forma- 
tion of words, and in the concept of idea or 
thought necessitating and giving birth to the 
words in expression. Percept is prior in sub- 
jectivity irp soul evolution, and is dependent 
for its initial upon the physical, the senses, 
and as a physician may know better than 
any other man (not to say woman, the 
mother), the sense of touch (Helen Keller's 
one equipment specially) is the first factor 



48 THE METAPHYSICS 

in medium of communication or introduc- 
tion to the objective world. 

The life property of irritability^ which in- 
cludes power to respond to environment — to 
stimuli — is active in initiation of all life 
phenomena^ and this, again, is more than 
symbolical of soul activities in the functions 
of the logos. As every practising physician 
has a thousand opportunities to observe, the 
touch of the lips of the babe to the breast of 
the mother awakens, calls out the first ex- 
pression of personal psychism on the part of 
the babe. That this is a subjective phenom- 
enon, as I am maintaining all mind is, I have 
no direct facts to evidence. The apparent, 
certainly, same phenomenon is observable in 
the young of all mammals, of course. But 
I have indirect facts and data to indicate a 
psychic response inclusive of more than the 
merely objective psychism which may fully 
explain all of the problems as presented in 
the animal below man, there being in the 
human a nascent subjectively psychic re- 
sponse. There are micro-organisms, 
whether plant or animal science does not 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 49 

pretend to determine, and these are neces- 
sarily nascent or incipient psychisms with 
preponderance all in one direction, yet of so 
extreme a metaphysical character as to deter 
the modest from loud asseveration. 

It may be ventured, however, even if dif- 
fidently, that there is the closest association 
of the sense of touch with the functions of 
the logos, at least in the early stage of soul 
dawning, or the coming into vogue of the 
subjectively psychic mind. What means it 
that Helen Keller, with but that one sense, 
with that of smell, is an educated w^oman? 
By means of those two senses all the avenues 
to and from the soul are opened up, and per- 
cept and concept to all higher evolution of 
soul experiences are the treasures of that 
splendidly equiped woman. The logos, with 
all that it involves is in touch with the sense 
of touch, and competence to all subjective 
psychism follows, notwithstanding the lim- 
itations of the objective in her case. 

Response to touch holds the field for a 
time in the new born babe, and not so many 
days after sight adds to the complexity of 



50 THE METAPHYSICS 

the psychic or mind play. An ''attractive'' 
object is the stimulus, a bright light, a 
strongly colored thing draws the ''atten- 
tion!'' The whole body is thrilled and vi- 
brates. This is not all muscular, these vi- 
brations are nervous. Does any other young 
do this ? Yes ; no ; it does more ; it does not 
do as much, and all answers are correct. Do 
the muscular and the nervous, that is to say, 
the physiological and life, explain all we 
have here? 

But observe further. Thrilled, vibrating 
from head to toes the babe thrusts out its 
hands and fingers. What for ? is there pur- 
pose in these moves ? Is it to grasp and hold 
it, to possess it? No indeed. It does not 
grasp the object, if near enough it touches 
it, it pushes it, communicates, talks to it in 
the incipiency of gesture language. 

How different from the kitten of as many 
days old. It runs after the rolling ball of 
worsted, grasps and holds it for a time, then 
lets go and does not know there was such an 
object in existence. In this respect the kit- 
ten is in advance of the babe, who could not 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 51 

co-ordinate its muscles by its mind, or sub- 
jective psychism — the animal, way in ad- 
vancCj is complexly competent in its objec- 
tive psychic directivity. A colt or a calf is 
equipped from the hour of its birth in virtue 
of its objective psychism, and vastly in a su- 
perior manner to the human animal. The 
most illy equipped of all living mammals, I 
might say, animals, in its infancy, is the hu- 
man. The problem of the prolongation of 
the infantile period in human life elicited 
from the late John Fiske large interest, and 
ingenuity in interpretation. Here is the 
true solution. The tenure of dependence and 
incapacity of the earlier m.onths and years, is 
in interest of the coming reign and domi- 
nance of the soul. In the animal below man 
there is no coming soul ; and whereas in man 
the objective directivity is less in demand 
with that in view, it is also less in dynamic 
operation, since so soon will the subjective- 
ly psychic be regnantly dominant. 

The kitten's superiority to the babe in this 
regard, and which is marked, is thus ac- 
counted for, and many problems solved 



52 THE METAPHYSICS 

otherwise puzzling, as witnesseth much 
pseudo-science. 

Is there not much to indicate that the 
babe's first movements here have origin in 
its ''logos/' in its incipient ideation function, 
with aid in gesture language ? However one 
determine as to nascent mental percept 
through the sense of touch, that may at least 
have been the forerunner in scanning the 
track for the passage of the nerve impulses 
to come when connection to percept of the 
physically objective should initiate the nas- 
cent in the mental drama. 

From now on the path in soul develop- 
ment is clearer, notwithstanding that the 
course is from the simple to the complex, as 
again a la evolution, for this must be kept 
in mind. 

CHAPTER IV. 

AND here a step further must be taken. 
The relation to and association of the 
soul with the body is functional, not 
immediately with the physical. The distinc- 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 53 

tion in kind of factor and process of the phy- 
sical, the functional and the psychic, has been 
noted, and is particularly important in re- 
gard to the subjectively psychic or mind. 
The gist in the conception of the soul hinges 
here. A function is the product or outcome 
of the physical activities by which it was at- 
tained. And as the physical processes were 
basic to the function, so the functional is 
basic to the soul or mind. The soul is not 
a function of the brain, as digestion is of the 
alimentary organs. Such a view of the soul 
is utterly incompetent since this ignores its 
heredity. The soul is organic, and associa- 
tional with the cosmos. The psychism of the 
soul is cosmical in origin, and its identity or 
individuality is by cosmic, ancestral and the 
immediate parential heredity. The soul is of 
the functional, though not a function, the 
organic functionalism in integrity and ma- 
turity is the basis and condition of the soul 
entity in personality. 

Functions, too, are from the simple to the 
complex, from the homogeneus to the hetero- 
geneus. A simple cycle of grouped physical 



54 THE METAPHYSICS 

movements achieves a simple function. 
More multiplex the physical factors, and 
more complexly grouped and cycling the 
activities, the higher the grade of the func- 
tion effected. Some functions are only ac- 
complished on the basis and condition of 
groups of lower and lesser functions, as 
digestion, or sight, and without the lower 
and contributary the higher would be unat- 
tainable. 

And these functions as they rise in com- 
plexity of condition to achievement are pro- 
gressively azi'ay from the physical and ma- 
terial, and toward the more purely func- 
tional. This on the basis of evolution is pro- 
gressively upward, until one comes to func- 
tions whose physical basis is far off and 
nearly lost sight of — for instance, the rap- 
ture on contemplating the sunrise at the sum- 
mit of Mount Blanc, or in listening for the 
first time to the incoming tide at the sea- 
shore in the evening, and soul engrossment 
of the awe and magnificence of the experi- 
ence. There are. functions attained only on 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 55 

the basis of function as its immediate 
efficiency. 

The soul, which is subjectively psychic as 
a phenomenon, is only possible on the basis 
of these functions and in their congeried and 
grouped complement and maturity. This is 
why the babe of a few days, and during the 
first few weeks does not sit up and look 
around and begin its soul life activities, these 
functions are attaining their complement 
and their integrity of balance. 

The 'logos/' a soul faculty and power, is 
closely in association with the functional of 
the organic physical equipment, because of 
its need and use of the special sense provi- 
sion of hearing and of speech organs, with 
nervous accompaniment. The percept must 
be put into concept, and in this is nascent 
ratiocination, involving ideation and word 
concept and formation, creation really, be- 
fore even little progress can be made. The 
immediate in association and co-operation is 
the mind with function, and function of com- 
plexity in grade, as of sight and language, 
these being functions effected by functions 



56 THE METAPHYSICS 

in congeries, and achieved in the onset by 
physical processes themselves grouped and 
cycling. 

Only in this comparatively remote sense 
may the mind be associated with the brain, 
ibr the brain is the organ of action (and 
i:;tion in the physically phenomenal) and 
I lot an organ of thought. Mind is expressed 
in parity of its nature and status. Mind is 
magisterial of function^ it has no organ, its 
immediate association is with the functional, 
whose basis is of the physical basis of life. 

The soul is subjective, it originates in the 
entital personality and is effected in and 
from the man. If it were objective as a 
psychic factor it might perhaps be located, 
and have a ''seat/' Being subjective as a 
psychism, and functional in base, its function 
cannot be located, much less itself. 

On observing the fish one sees that it is 
competent to orientation and ''peripatetics'' 
apparently power of directivity located, cer- 
tainly issuing from its tail and fins. The 
ass puts its proverbial stupidity on exhibi- 
tion in its four hoofs, which once planted 



OF THE NATURE, ETC 57 

he will not budge until he ''has a mind to/^ 
The mule, a domestic advance in evolution, 
and with psychic characteristics just as 
marked, is content with two hoofs, which he 
plays quantitively in reverse proportion to 
that of his parent. However, whether lo- 
calized or not the psychic directivity is ob- 
jective^ and has local points of initiation by 
means of the nervous system and the brain 
as the organ governing the physical or spe- 
cial muscular activities. 

The bee, the ant (and much lower organ- 
isms) are supposed to give evidence of in- 
telligence in strategem, and of choice far 
superior to that of animals much higher in 
the scale of evolution, and even beyond that 
of the animal next to man — the ape — whose 
brain is almost the counterpart of man's, 
which it should be as the organ of action, 
not of thought. With all his wealth of 
brain endowment he is utterly incompetent 
to the complex and apparently concerted and 
strategic activities of the bee and the ant. 
On the basis of the brain as the organ of 
mind, and intelligence of lower organisms, 



58 THE METAPHYSICS 

and the fiction of the animal mind, their sim- 
ple problems are insolvable, in spite of the 
wealth of learning and skill being lavished 
upon them. 

On the basis of this principle of objective 
psychism as against that which must be 
subjective to the organism, many problems 
of the impossible so-called animal psychology 
are facile of interpretation. Essay in the 
solvement of these in 'The Behavior of 
Low^er Organisms/' 'The Dancing Mouse," 
'The Animal Mind/' etc., entirely fails, not- 
withstanding the eminence of the authors 
and the skill employed. The two latter 
books are said to be "instalments of a series 
on animal behavior . . . which might give 
them a place in courses on comparative 
psychology such as the frog holds in courses 
in comparative anatomy, . . . for use in 
American Colleges," which proposition 
gives animus to the demurrer here raised. 
What parity is there of frog comparative 
anatomy^ and mouse and other animals, and 
still lower organisms, as to their so-called 
comparative psychology? Animal "psychol- 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 59 

^Sy' i^ ^ mere assumption. No concensus 
of its scientific acceptance is attained. 
**Among animals, the fuller developments of 
instinct and of intelligence exclude one an- 
other'' (M. Bergson, a recognized high au- 
thority on the questions involved). In the 
present state — subjudice — of the problems 
involved in acceptance of animal psychology 
as a doctrine, the use of the terms ''behavior 
of lower organisms/' in the forced and mis- 
leading sense inevitable, ''steals a march,'' so 
to speak, on the opponents of such doctrine. 
And to teach the at present debated matters, 
which are necessarily crude and tentative 
only, as science in American Colleges, is 
surely too premature to command the ap- 
proval of American psychologists, and is 
most certainly -inconsonant with the severe 
scientific spirit. 

The conception of the soul cognate with 
the "mechanism" theory of life as a phenom- 
enon is in the extreme narrow, and incon- 
sonant with the nature and evolution grade 
of the thing in question. The soul as man 
is the only evolution conception possible. 



6o THE METAPHYSICS 

Soul as ameba, as ant, as elephant, as ape, is 
inconceivable, without man to hint and say, 
perish the thought! There is no ''missing 
link" between the monkey and man! What 
can be missing with his anatomy and ner- 
vous and brain comparative furnishing? He 
lacks nothing but the mind, the soul. No 
link is missed, man is the next evolution 
move above the ape. Give the monkey the 
focused cosmic psychism in organic and 
physiologic psychic directivity (which he 
has equally with man, witness his brain en- 
dowment) but one advance further, in evo- 
lution move from the general — or objective 
psychism — to the special, the subjective — as 
this study exploits, and the monkey is every 
inch a man. 

Popular conception has drawn too hard 
and fast lines in understanding of the 'links'' 
as lines of demarcation in evolution progres- 
sive moves. This is owing to the gross 
"mechanism'' hypotheses in vogue, which 
entail limitations with baneful results. On 
this gross and limited; hypothesis, to be sure, 
a ''link'' is needed, since the ape has no soul, 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 6l 

and man's is so great in present potencies 
and larger promise. Yet it is a fact that no 
^'link" between the ape and man is conceiv- 
able, no equipment added to the brute which 
would be an advance toward man but the 
mind itself, which would constitute the 
''link'' man. What is conceivable, which 
added to the ape would make more facile the 
evolution of the soul or mind in that animal ? 
He has touch and tongue sense, with ner- 
vous system and brain a plenty, what could 
be added to make him competent to mind 
development? We know well enough what 
he lacks, which if supplied would constitute 
him as competent to soul and mind phenom- 
ena and experience as man. What the ape 
needs is the 'logusT' but that is not a mat- 
ter of ''links'' or mechanism. He has all the 
so-called "mechanism/' the "machinery." 
He has not the "logos" faculty, that is a 
functional quality and power. Here we are 
above the world of the material and physical. 
Why could not a monkey have that as well 
as a man? Let science answer, I can't. 
Given th^ "logos" faculty and powder, what 



62 THE METAPHYSICS 

would hinder the ape from being a man ? I 
know of nothing, let science raise the de- 
murrer. 

It must, therefore, appear that the imme- 
diate association of the soul with the body — 
the mediate instrumentality — is of the na- 
ture of the functional, and there is no 
''scent" of the soul or mind lost in the brain 
(Hugh Maccoll, The Hibbert Journal). The 
soul is amenable to search by observation. 
and that in the sense and by means of sub- 
jective psychicagency in cognition of the 
subjectively psychic when transformed into 
or made objectively phenomenal. This in- 
troduces to the final chapter or link in the 
scientific presentation of the argument. 

CHAPTER V. 

T N determination of the exact relation and 
^ association of the soul with the physical 
organism, another important phase of the 
question presents itself. This has seemed 
not to be fully recognized, if at all. A large 
array of facts and data offer themselves as 
modifying, if not radically changing inter- 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 63 

pretations that have too readily passed mus- 
ter. I speak of the phenomenal in the sense 
of the on-exhibition of mentation and soul 
experience. 

Soul psychism in self-conciousness (for 
we have now reached the ''I think, therefore 
I am" stage), and in subjective thought — 
thought originating in this ego — (mark 
that) with joy and sorrow, love or hate, in 
ratiocination process to purpose and will — all 
of this is subjective, and may be and remain 
non-phenomenal. This subjective and active 
soul and mind experience and phenomena 
(in the higher sense in use of the term) may 
be ''in recession^'' so to speak, in the sense of 
being non-objective, non-phenomenal in the 
grosser sense and usage of that term. This 
subjective soul experience, exhilarating or 
otherwise may be kept non-objective by the 
putting on exhibition of other mind expres- 
sion — the joy, sorrow, love, hate, purpose in 
will, may thus be hidden or kept subjective. 
The subjective and objective, therefore, are 
veritably distinct, at least in our concept or 
thinking and knowledge of them. 



64 THE METAPHYSICS 

Now what facts are there to indicate asso- 
ciation of brain action with this subjective 
soul phenomenon? or to suggest dependence 
upon brain activity as instrumental in its 
achievement! If this had a physical factor 
necessary in its attainment why may it not 
be located in the pineal gland^ or the solar 
plexus, or the oscalcis, or finger nail in so 
far as any known facts or factor indicates? 
It is only when these subjective phenomena 
are made to be objective in laughter or tears, 
in purpose expressed by tongue or pen or 
otherwise, that brain factorship is in requisi- 
tion, and as motor instrumentality — brain, 
the organ of action. Percept must and does 
preceed concept in the incipiency of mind ac- 
tion. But in the higher and advanced evo- 
lution in consciousness is this at all in evi- 
dence in much of soul life? Is there a shad- 
dow of evidence in facts of association and 
dependence — or either one — of soul with 
brain cell in any soul or mind phenomena 
save in that of the objective or on-exhibi- 
tional? This always involves physical action 
and not merely abstract soul or the sub- 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 65 

jective. It is following a will-o'-the-wisp 
trying to locate mind in the brain. 

Sight or hearing or any sense phenomenon 
is not strictly a mental faculty or function. 
In its basis it is a physical process, achiev- 
ing a life or organic function, and in the 
metaphysics of it the mentation is something 
higher yet. Here the physical has associa- 
tion with the mental, as we have seen, be- 
cause of the instrumentality of the motor 
activities. All of this, the physical and func- 
tional, transpires in his degree in the dog or 
canary-bird. The objective in sight or sound 
by means of an afferent impulse is conveyed 
to the brain centers and elicits such response 
by efferent instrumentality in motor action, 
according to the competence in irritability of 
the dog or bird. No evidence in fact ap- 
pears of more than this, and this is account- 
ed for and explained without introduction of 
the subjective in these animals by the physical 
and the functional with the related objective 
psychism in directivity. In man there is the 
additional subjectively psychic — the ego. 

Man as soul is in relation with the physi- 



66 THE METAPHYSICS 

cal in mediate association, but immediately 
with the functional. The physical makes 
possible and is effective in the functional, 
the latter being conditional, and giving issue 
to the subjectively psychic. No such condi- 
tional and co-operative factorship obtains in 
regard to the objective psychism in the 
physiological of the organic phenomena. 
The same quality of directivity operates in 
the special activities constituting the organic 
as in the cosmic, and in the same manner, 
save that in the organic the psychic qualita- 
tive factor is in more focused specialization. 
In its further specialization evolutionally in 
the subjective soul or mind, it is so unique 
in character and agency as to constitute a 
new cosmic factor, effecting a new and origi- 
nal phenomenon. Having come into entity 
by the evolution conditional factors and 
functions, its cousinship always w^ith the 
functional and not the factors, the associa- 
tion with the former is more and more in 
evidence, and to the limiting of the depen- 
dent relation with the latter. That is to say, 
in partial repetition for the sake of clearness 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 67 

and emphasis, that the physical and the func- 
tional permit the coming into entity and give 
issue in objectivity of the subjectively psy- 
chic, the relation and association continuing 
throughout organic life, but with waning 
intimacy of dependence upon the lower, the 
physical. This marks that the purposive in 
the association of the soul with the physi- 
cally organic is first, in interest of the com- 
ing into entity of the soul ego, and second, 
in interest of association with other egoisms 
like itself limited by dependence and rela- 
tion with the physical The intimacy of as- 
sociation with the physical grows less in pro- 
portion as the dependence wanes, and this 
as organic life is extended. 

Now^ an important and pertinent question 
arises. The soul having come to its king- 
dom in entital subjectively psychic person- 
ality, what further need of the objective, I 
mean the gross phenomenal, save, as already 
hinted, in interest of association with other 
and like egoisms, equally limited by associa- 
tion with the physical? I have used the 
terms on-exhibition to more than repletion 



68 THE METAPHYSICS 

with this in mind throughout this study, par- 
ticularly wishing to emphasize that the ob- 
jectively phenomenal is only the temporary, 
and incidental to this tentative and physical 
life, and also and very largely in interest of 
association with other souls equally limited 
temporarily and incidentally. Full place and 
play have been allowed for these physical 
and objective factors and considerations hi 
the coming into entity of the ego by their 
means, and the consequent needs-be of them 
as said, temporarily and incidentally, the 
special senses putting in communication with 
the external world, and with other organisms. 
This attained, need of and dependence upon 
these as instrumentalities grow less and less 
as evolution advance gives competence to 
the higher — the subjectively psychic — and 
to the more purely soul acquaintance and in- 
tercourse with other souls as such. The 
step above the physical is to the functional, 
the highest competency and power of or- 
ganic life, until the new or subjectively 
psychic in the organic drama begins. And 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 69 

this step above and into the functional is 
conditional and instrumental to the psychic. 

And what is the secret in the functional 
as giving instrumental competency to the 
coming into entity of the soul egoism? 
What will account for and explain the facts 
in this new phenomenon? We may only 
turn to our conception of the organic with 
its essential associationalism, not omitting, 
however, the ever aidful interpreting factor 
and master key evolution. The organic in 
relation with and in origin by the cosmic 
gives energy and qualitative directivity to 
the physiological. The organic involving 
the relational or non-sectional of life phe- 
nomena gives the congeried and cycling of 
both physical processes and functions, as in- 
strumental to the acmean achievement of the 
purposive in the complex organic phenom- 
enon. And the evolutional in unerring 
moves from the simple to the complex, and 
from the general to the special enterprets 
complexity in congeried functionalism as 
conditional and instrumental in soul evolu- 
tion. The congeried complexity in function 



70 THE METAPHYSICS 

has attained the acme in disturbed equiUb- 
rium, which is always precurser and agency 
in advance in Hfe or physiological processes, 
so in this higher range a new era in progress 
opens in the unique phenomenon, the ego or 
soul 

Now, drop the lower, the physically in- 
strumental, why not? and behold the soul! 
a subjective psychic entital cosmical identity. 
Identity, that is to say, individuality, with 
unique characterization is fundamental of 
soul concept. Hence, there may be no in- 
carnation or reincarnation of the human soul 
prior to initial appearance in earth life — this 
must be scientifically impossible. What- 
ever of the ''mystic'' may be allowed in re- 
gard to ''reincarnation'' as a doctrine, or as 
to incarnation as a fact, science of a surety 
discounts the scientifically impossible. And 
since the facts evidence that the identity 
of each individual soul is immediately de- 
termined by parental heredity the impossi- 
bility of a prior existence seems a foregone 
conclusion. There seems to be scientific pos- 
sibility for but one authenticated case 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 71 

of human incarnation, and that in the in- 
stance of Jesus the Christ, and that only on 
the basis of the true and real virgin birth — 
which I have discussed elsewhere. These 
questions, however, must be left here. 

Identity, but not fixity or locality in space, 
is cognate and fundamental to soul concep- 
tion. One cannot give the limitation of lo- 
cality in strictness even to his concept of 
function. Having filtered the soul of the 
material is it less entital in thought or es- 
sence? The gross and physical in soul con- 
cept is assuredly the tentative and temporary. 

The facts and distinctions here marked 
are the key to the interpretation of the prob- 
lems of diseases of the brain, with their in- 
volvement of mental condition and expres- 
sion, and those of senility in old age. There 
are no diseases of the mind. These may 
only occur in the physical basis of the mind. 
The effect of these so-called mental diseases, 
which have their bases in the physical or- 
gans and structures of the body, interfer- 
ing with their functions, is a different and 
more complex question, involving, as it does. 



y2 THE METAPHYSICS 

a higher kind of phenomena than the phy- 
sical and the functional — the psychic. The 
basis of a so-called functional disease is in 
the physical, and conception of ''disease'' is 
inseparably connected with the physical mak- 
ing the functional possible. Of course psy- 
chology, strictly within its own sphere, has 
to do with the psychic, and knows nothing, 
has nothing to do with structural change 
in degeneration of brain substance. The 
simple psyche concept is not formed on the 
basis of chemistry and physics, with atomic 
and molecular involvement. And should 
the facts exploited in this thesis find further 
corroboration, and the objective, or onex- 
hibition of mentality alone be found to have 
relation and dependence upon brain action, 
psychology as now understood will remain 
mostly unaffected by the change in base — so 
far — evidencing the distinction in the prob- 
lems of physical disease and mental change 
or aberation, say. 

The mind problem must be attacked from 
the standpoint of its higher and more com- 
plex kind as a phenomenon, and the merely 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 73 

symbolical of accommodational use of the 
terms employed must be emphasized. There 
are no affections, disturbances, abnormali- 
ties of the mind in its purely subjective ex- 
istence and operations that have approved 
scientific facts in the physical to evidence. "^^ 
Lesians of nervous substance in lobe or con- 
volution, or ganglionic cell centers, with al- 
teration structurally, and deterioration quali- 
tatively, these are well known, and that they 
effect disturbances in sensous and motor 
activities, and the onexhibition of mentation 
— that is to say, mind activities which de- 
pend upon these physical instrumentalities 
for their creation and expression. What 
effect otherwise have such lesians and phy- 
sical conditions? And what effect upon the 



*The ^'autobiography" of Helen Keller, now ap- 
pearing in The Century Magazine, throws much 
light upon these questions, and strongly supports 
the position of the present writer. It is too pre- 
mature to speak decisively of the important in- 
vestigations and experiments of Professor Gates, 
of the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D. C, 
who speaks of mental emotions, anger, etc., as 
causing the production of poisons in the body 
secretions. This does not necessarily affect our 
questions. 



74 THE METAPHYSICS 

purely subjective^ that which is to, or may, 
remain purely subjective, the non-objective, 
and which may be independent of the im- 
mediate sensuous and motor of the physical 
in the objective of mentality? These are 
metaphysical questions in a high degree, but 
they are indispensable in the solvement of 
these problems. And no facts as yet adduced 
show immediate, necessary relation to and 
effect of the one upon the other. 

The mind is often seen to be unaffected, 
save as above specified, when a sudden re- 
moval of the cause of the brain disturb- 
ance, after long continuance too, results in 
a manifestation of mind unimpaired and un- 
changed. Instances of permanent change of 
disposition are recorded, to be sure, and a 
point not easy of dismissal, seeing that we 
are limited to and by the onexhibition of 
mentality so largely. We have to depend in 
much upon the symbolical and the accom- 
modational, not only as to terminology in 
expression of ideas, but also in concept and 
formation of the ideas as to these specifically 
psychic matters in consideration. 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 75 

Clumsily convert a piano into a melodian, 
the music elicited would be different and not 
to be compared with that before the change 
in the instrument. The artist musician might 
remain unchanged, for a time, at least; but 
would not it surely drive him crazy ? Every 
alianist physician has patients exactly in 
the condition of that unfortunate musician, 
or much like him, anyway. And don't they 
get *'mad?'' He thinks correctly. He knows 
the correct thing to say, makes the effort 
to say it, and says it correctly from the 
subjective basis, and so thinks he has. He 
is at the subjective and you at the objective 
end, and in the specific instance they are not 
the same, and the objective is at fault, and 
the subjective thinks the stupidity is all 
yours. First he is impatient of your stu- 
pidity. Then he becomes obstreporous and 
"mad" and ungovernable, and all the while 
he — the subjective — was right, and he knew 
it, it was the objective which he did not 
know, and could not know, that was wrong. 

When we come to investigate the ques- 
tion of the effect of the continuance of these 



76 THE METAPHYSICS 

conditions upon the '^disposition/' say the 
subjective psychism, we have the question 
raised several figures. The brain lesion is 
there from the first. The functions of those 
nervous organisms are interfered with from 
the first. Soul, mind is based upon function, 
not immediately upon material motion of 
body or brain substance. In ''permanent 
change of disposition'' in specific instances 
only, we have to do with repeated and con- 
tinued interference wath functions, and those 
the highest, the most complex, those which 
are magisterial in the sensuous and motor 
activities of the organism as such. These 
are the highest of all bodily functions — sen- 
sory and motor — closely related to the con- 
scious and willing mind, and upon which 
the mind is really dependent for power of 
expression of itself. Lesian of the material 
brain affects its function, this affects the sen- 
sory and motor of the organic phenomena, 
and this the objective or onexhibition of 
mentality. This is as far as our facts per- 
mit us to go. The subjective — the mind 
proper — is above and beyond the objective 



OF THE NATURE, ETC yy 

of mentality. The basis of this, immediately, 
is function, and a function is not entital as 
is the physical which achieves it, and our 
''facts' give out in persuing the question of 
the soul right here. 

What effect then has the brain lesian on 
the mind? None, immediately. What ef- 
fect has the disturbance or destruction of 
the cognate function? Immediate and 
marked interferance of the onexhibition, or 
objective of mind phenomena, and all of it 
which relates to the sensory and motor phase 
of mentality. What effect, then, may these 
functional and objective phenomena have 
upon the inner and higher yet, the subjec- 
tive . the egotistic or soul ? None that may 
be traced or evidenced on our present line 
of investigation. We step up into another 
region, and our platform and standpoint of 
inquiry must be raised and enlarged. 

Psychiatry has much to say in regard to 
the matters in review but it is all on the one 
side, it has solely to do with the objective 
of mind phenomena. 

Now age in senility is manifest precisely 



78 THE METAPHYSICS 

in the same manner. In regard to the sub- 
jectivity of the soul, and that is its real 
status, senility is inversely as that of the ob- 
jective or the phenomenal. As age length- 
ens the tendency is more and more to the 
introspective, to live within. The power of 
reflection — introspective — grows stronger 
with age, which is inconsistent with the 
principle of senility. Is the part of the brain 
supposed to be in activity in the *'act'' or 
experience of introspection and reflection 
localized? Where should one look for it? 
The thinking that would bring into requi- 
sition the aid of memory, of a person, an 
event, which involved at the far off time the 
use of the senses, would have some sugges- 
tion of locality in the center giving origin to 
that nerve tract, but only so far as the sight 
of the person, or sounds of the concert at- 
tended at the time were concerned. Those 
would be merely incidental or contributary 
to the intellectual phenomenon. 

But in age and senility those are the 
phases of mentality which are affected, the 
sight, the hearing, the use of the tongue and 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 79 

limbs, and the memory, but with this to be 
marked, the memory which requires the use 
of the senses. The song heard the other day 
is forgotten, because closely asociated with 
the physical sense organs which are senile. 
The song of fifty years ago is ''remembered" 
as if heard the other day. Why the differ- 
ence? Is this a hard question to ask? It 
certainly involved the material sense of hear- 
ing at the time. It cannot depend upon that 
now. Nor may it be explained on the basis 
of ''layers of memory cells'' (like "records" 
for a phonograph?). Senility affects the phy- 
sical structures, and their functions conse- 
quently ; hence memory depending upon these 
should be less, not greater, that of fifty 
yt^ars ago as compared with that of the otlier 
day. Had there been the accessories of the 
former attending the latter, and making it 
pass into the soul as an abiding experience 
would not the song of the other day be "re- 
membered" as fully? 

"I am eighty years old today, I never felt 
so young as I do this morning," wrote the 
late Dr. McCosh. Yet his hearing was some- 



8o THE METAPHYSICS 

what impaired, other sense organs too, so 
that mind in its expression was interfered 
with in so far. But his soul eyes were un- 
dimmed, his soul force unabated. Never 
so young as on that eightieth anniversary 
day for he was still attaining competence to 
greater things. The position that man has 
achieved his best at forty can only have 
relevancy to the physical or phenomenal in 
man, and then subject to adjustment to the 
larger and partly unrecognized facts inter- 
pretive of his nature and potential compe- 
tences. 

The late Pontifif, who died several years 
ago, was a noble iluustration in point too. 
His giant soul coming, struggling may it be 
said, into entity and maturity in association 
with and by means of a frail physical organ- 
ization, and so handicapped thru life, was 
yet virile and all dominant thru a long life, 
exhibiting his mind prowess to the last days, 
and even hours, and almost moment. The 
experiences of the last months of his life re- 
vealed a veritable struggle to hold intact a 
while longer the necessary physical frame 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 8l 

until the soul purposes in process of achieve- 
ment were attained, — a marked dominion of 
mind over the physical and a lesson in pschol- 
ogy to be appreciated. Men do not pass so 
leisurely thru life, or so leisurely out of it as 
did the patriarch who, feeling his end near, 
''gathered up his feet into the bed and died,'' 
being full of days. Rather life's tenure is 
too short. Death too often breaks in upon 
and untimely cuts short and prevents com- 
pletion of what seems the most important 
and momentous of life's working day. Wit- 
ness the princely Virchow, aged yet busy, 
accidentally breaking a limb, but recovering 
and resuming his toil only in a few months 
to come to his decease. Or, again, the im- 
mortal Pasteur. Arrested suddenly in his 
work, with some special experiments along 
the lines that had made his name great in 
the world, and in a few days in the very 
article of death, his lips moving were heard 
to whisper, ''We must keep working; w^ 
must keep on working," and his great soul 
passed on to "join the majority'' where they 
are still working, if to fulfill ones destiny 



82 THE METAPHYSICS 

in the great evolution purpose may be so 
designated. 

No indissoluble bond exists between the 
soul and the body. The shuffling off of the 
mortal coil is readily effected, for the in- 
strument no longer efficiently available for 
use, and less and less needed to effect the 
ever enlarging higher soul life, it is at last 
dropped, and the functionally attained ego 
continues its subjective psychic identity in- 
dependently of the physical. Here we are 
face to face with the so-termed mystery of 
death. 

And, indeed, death is an equal problem 
with life, which not ending all, rather ends 
nothing. Death initiates change, what more ? 
And if evolution have meaning it is change 
rn interest of continuance of the fit and in 
progression to the larger and the higher. 

There is no need of the physical to the 
purely subjective of soul psychism, nor for 
association with souls like itself delimited of 
the restrictions of the earth life. We have 
seen that the elements of the soul were psy- 
chic in their cosmic or general relationships. 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 83 

In the more specific or organic life associa- 
tion the psychism was fostered in and by 
evolution filtering of the material, by imme- 
diate functional dependence, and in process 
of the superceeding of the lower and basic 
by dissolution from the base. What then 
may hinder the entrance into and the per- 
sistence in and of the psycho- functional ? 
the base in which functionalism is the pur- 
posive! Before the penetration of this soul 
vision, even on the basis of science facts, the 
clouds forming the mysticism of death begin 
to separate. 

Here, then,- we may rest our case from the 
scientific point of view. Beyond this sci- 
ence does not go, having shown possibility 
in veritable fact, and even needs-be of con- 
tinance in soul life. The end or cessation of 
mere life potency is seen in the million save 
one of fish eggs, and of the seventy thousand, 
less a dozen at most of human ova, of each 
individual organism in both species. Is there 
hint the slightest in any fact known to sci- 
ence of ending of that which is psychic — the 
"stuff'' which constitutes souls? All science 



84 THE METAPHYSICS 

facts, in so far as they speak, proclaim the 
contrary. Evolution princple, which must 
be admitted 'The Master Key*' here, pro- 
claims the phenomenon impossible. Is the 
human ego — a psychic entity or verity — a 
factor in cosmic phenomena? Then put by 
its side the eternal and universal principle 
(regnant in all things) from the homogen- 
eous to the heterogeneous, and from the gen- 
eral to the special, and by that token the 
soul must and will continue so long as the 
psychic phenomenon endures. The conser- 
vation of energy is unthinkable save on the 
basis of an Eternal Energy. The ending 
of a human soul, or break in its onward evo- 
lution to the more highly specialized and 
perfect, is impossible and unthinkable, unless 
one stultifies his intelligence and denies evo- 
lution facts. 

Ah! it is truly great to have come into 
entity as a soul, to be a factor in soul phe- 
nomena, and to play a part in the egoistic 
drama — a factor to be reckoned with, and 
to be accounted for in any cosmic philosophy. 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 85 

''Were I as tall as to reach the 'pole' 
Or grasp the ocean in a span, 

I must be measured by my soul, 

The mind's the standard of the man/' 

And what a homily is Helen Keller read- 
ing us in her ''autobiography?" Souls are 
souls by cosmic evolution. But souls in their 
entital identity are "created" ! What would 
she have been without the aid of her teacher ? 
The teacher was the factor in the manipula- 
tion of her organic potencies, those on which 
depend the coming into entity of the egoistic 
soul. The teacher was to her what the ob- 
jective psychism is to normal organisms. The 
functions of the missing sense organs and 
properties were the means and the compe- 
tences in the use of which the soul came to 
egoism. In the teacher this was both in- 
ferior and superior to the normal — the sense 
organs and functions. He was as sight to 
her, but of course imperfect as such. But in 
the initiation of the psychism of sight — the 
induction of the mental percept, the sense 
idea passing into the intellectual — the teacher 
was more than the sense organ, since in him 



86 THE METAPHYSICS 

the psychism was subjective and consequent- 
ly purposive in greater specialization, and so 
more effective, or effective in this higher de- 
gree. 

And in the coming into egoism of this 
now splendidly equipt woman how necessary 
as well as important was the part borne by 
the teacher ! Hellen Keller's spiritual awak- 
ening, as she terms it, did not occur until 
the teacher began his manipulation of the 
existant and conditional, tho inactive func- 
tions and competances to soul development. 
She says, '1 did not know that 'I am/ I 
lived in a no-world, I had neither will nor 
intellect. I was carried along to objects and 
acts by a blind natural impulse. I never 
viewed anything beforehand or chose it. 
Never in a start of the body or a heart-beat 
did I feel that I loved or cared for anything. 
My inner life was a blank. From remi- 
niscenses like these I conclude that it is the 
opening of these two faculties, freedom of 
the will, or choice, and rationality, or the 
power of thinking from one thing to another, 
which makes it possible to come into being, 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 87 

first as a child and afterward as a man. It 
was not touch that brought me knowledge, it 
was the awakening of my soul that first ren- 
dered my senses their value, and the cog- 
nizance of objects, names, qualities and prop- 
erties. Thought made me conscious of life, 
joy, and all emotions. I was eager to know 
and understand, then to reflect on what I 
knew and understood, and the blind impulse 
which before had driven me hither and 
thither at the dictates of my sensations, van- 
ished forever.'' 

This is well nigh precisely what, occurs in 
the dawning of the soul during infancy and 
childhood, extended over more years of time, 
and varied by the conditions obtaining. In 
the abnormal case the awakenings were more 
sudden, coming more in bounds and leaps, 
and larger in extent, but the same soul dawn- 
ing and coming into entital identity. 

But what a revelation of the possibilities 
in the hands of the mother of mental or soul 
manipulation is its dawning, awakening, or 
coming into entity in egoism, as the best 
terms commandable. The world as yet is 



88 THE METAPHYSICS 

largely peopled by half-formed and illy 
formed, and deformed souls. Not only 
or chiefly in our Ghettoes and Bow- 
eries and cellars, and perhaps not 
much more there than in our com- 
fortable homes or the mansions of the mil- 
lionaires. Souls are permitted to ''grow'' 
into identity, like topsy, when they might 
would and should be guided, called out. 
manipulated and molded in their budding and 
unfolding. What] the world needs today for 
its redemption is competent motherhood. 
This does not touch the question or sphere 
of religion. Christianity cannot, was not 
intended to make a holy (whole) man of a 
soulmonstrosity. 

CHAPTER VI. 

f^ ONCLUSIVE from the conception of 
^^ the soul here exploited, and the facts 
educed in evidence and elucidation of the 
views maintained, principles of interpretation 
of the problems presented are here afforded. 
Competent explanations and accounting for 
of the factors and the facts are possible. 



OF THE NATURE, ETC 89 

which, in no other way, and on no other 
basis in principle, offers a scientific solve- 
ment of the problems involved, or of so 
many of them. A brief discussion of these 
may lead to the final thought with which 
this study shall close. 

It is a fact easily verifiable that the con- 
cept force, energy, is as entital to our con- 
sciousness as is the material. Not to com- 
mon experience and thinking are these two 
factors or objects entital in the same sense 
a difference in kind of entity is recognized; 
nevertheless, force is as real and intensive 
in the consciousness of which it is the object 
and cause, as is the material object. So, 
in the organic phenomenon, no factor is 
more entital and real than is the concept and 
experience we designate, the psychic. No 
factor omitted, non-recognized, would leave 
as large a blank or missing link as this 
would entail. Hence, the force of the illus- 
tration, not original here, the house swept 
with a broom, and, also, with a purpose, 
the ''purpose'' as real, as veritable as the 
broom. 



90 THE METAPHYSICS 

''Purpose'' speaks volumes! The psychic 
is non-material. In concept, it is two re- 
moves from the material, as factor in 
thought. Coming up, it is from material to 
energy, and from force to psychism, or the 
purposive. These are distinctions, not 
merely possible to consciousness, but also 
imperative, and specifically in ratiocination. 
Verital to consciousness, the psychic in the 
''purposive,'' purpose to an end to be at- 
tained, is outside the category of the physi- 
cal and material, more cognate as a concept 
in consciousness with energy, yet distinct 
from both. Force by association with the 
material may become phenomenal, in other 
words, assume on exhibition phase. The 
psychic, as a conscious concept, more cognate 
with energy than matter, is distinct from 
both, as evidenced in the fact that force may 
become phenomenal by association with mat- 
ter, force being regnant and initiative in 
the phenomenon as sequal of the association, 
the phenomenon being contingent upon the 
co-partnership. Association of force with 
psychism in the "purposive,'' or "directivity^" 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 91 

the material the objective, the phenomenon 
accruing is the organic; matter the physical 
basis, force the medium of communication 
and agent in potentiality, the psychic, still 
distinct in nature and role, magisterial and 
dominant in all. 

Hence the degree of discount of Spencer's 
principle of essential alliance of energy and 
matter, and impossibility of concept other- 
wise. Consciousness by association with en- 
ergy gives degree in feelings emotion^ appre- 
hension, which, while expressed in much 
physiologically, is contained in functions 
which have no immediate physical basis, and 
which, at the most, may be only said to be 
contingent on a basis of prior achieved func- 
tions. In a word— Complement and hetero- 
geneity of function are basic in the coming 
into entity and life of the ego or soul. 

The psychic, in particulate, is a realm of 
the metaphysical of grades, and of distinc- 
tions, because it is a realm of "quality'' and 
of qualities, and the incipiancy of the present 
stage of evolution physically renders our 
best conception of these things little more 



92 THE METAPHYSICS 

than crude, a point to be remembered in our 
dealing with these metaphysical facts. 

In the text of the foregoing sections the 
distinction of the objective and the sub- 
jective in psychism is cardinal in considera- 
tion, a line of demarcation, and the master 
key in the solvement of the problems in 
psychology of the plant and the animal 
worlds — man being apical in the latter cate- 
gory. Leaving out the human species in the 
animal category, and no hint of distinction 
in psychism as to kind, in potentiality desig- 
nated vital, or living, or in protoplasm, the 
physical basis alike in kind, and of all living 
things, appears. It is only when the homo- 
geneity has attained the evolutional hetero- 
geneity of such complexure and complement 
as is found in human organic phenomena 
that distinction in kind of the psychic factor 
and energy is suggested. The suggestion 
of difference in kind^ not degree merely, 
grows out of the riddle of unevolutional in 
the disposition and activity of the factor and 
principle in consideration. On all evolution 
principle — from the homogeneous to the 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 93 

hetorogeiieouSj from the simple to the com- 
plex — the larger and more intensive in de- 
gree of psychism should be reserved to the 
later and higher grades of organisms, while 
the lesser and incipient in degree should 
mark the lower and earlier in evolution 
grade. The converse of this is actually what 
obtains. So marked is "The psychic life of 
micro-organisms'' that this gives title to 
treatises upon the same. In so much do the 
physical activities of lower organisms re- 
semble the actions of human beings that 
these are dubbed ''behavior,'' and interpreta- 
tions on that basis are attempted. It is but 
a step further to the ''animal mind/' But, 
the riddle is only seen to its greatest advan- 
tage when is put into observation and com- 
parison the '^behavior" of ants and bees by 
the side of that of our asserted recent prede- 
cessors, the apes. What a "descent" from 
the ant to the ape! but to the eternal dis- 
credit of the latter, in point of evolution, as 
to '^common sense,'' social organization and 
the strategic in conduct. Nothing in the ape 
conduct is comparable with that in the ant. 



94 THE METAPHYSICS 

Now, here is presented a riddle of the 
universe in miniature proportions as com- 
pared with the greater riddle. Two alterna- 
tives arise. The abandonment of the prin- 
ciple of evolution, or there must be another 
kind of psychic factor and principle, on the 
basis of which the riddle of the wwevolu- 
tional, as presented in the conversed status 
and degree of objective psychism in the 
lower and higher organisms may be solved. 
Plowing with Sampson's heifer his riddle 
was resolved, so the simple incident of the 
mother's special attentions to the child un- 
able as yet to walk, as compared with the 
lesser aid given to the one running about 
with trained and stouter limbs, suggests 
nature's profusion in endowment in objective 
or psychic directivity to the lower organism, 
in view of the higher competance to needs in 
the more complexly functioned higher or- 
ganism. 

The psychism of living phenomena is 
that factor and principle which moves the 
homogeneous on towards and in heterogen- 
eity to the functional, in constitution of the 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 95 

organic, or living. It may be allowed that 
the physics and chemistry in the formation 
of earths, and rocks, and metals be desig- 
nated physiological, why not? It is the ad- 
vance in heterogenity, etc., marked by the 
g'eneration of the life germ, the physical 
basis of its phenomena, or manifestation, 
which brings into entity and activity the 
cycling in character, the congeried in com- 
plexity of these cycling physical processes, 
issuing or achieving function, which is 
essential or constituant of the organic. In all 
of this, in all classes and grades of complex- 
ity and heterogeneity of organic or living 
phenomena, the psychism is same in kind, 
differing only in degree in objective activity. 
It is objective, not subjective^ because of 
absence of any fact in evidence of conscious 
relation or association in the phenomenon of 
which it is a factor. 

Now a subjective psychism is easy of dis- 
tinction of- concept from the objective. A 
subjective psychism is only thinkable on a 
basis of consciousness, and, of course, pre- 
supposes consciousness as egoism. It is sub- 



96 THE METAPHYSICS 

jective, because it is not a factor, it is here, 
not there, it is entital and identital, and had 
a beginning or an origination, precisely, per- 
haps, as had the first germ of Hfe with its 
physical basis, the coming into entity in 
egoism, as unique a phenomenon as the origi- 
nation of that first germ of life. Thus is 
marked as pyramidal in all cosmic and or- 
ganic phenomena, the psychism coming to 
focus and issue in the subjective egoism of 
the human soul and mind. 

And this is truly and pre-eminently soul 
and mind. The conserving energy its 
source. The channels and streams of its 
cosmic focus and concentration, ontologic, 
and in subjective phenomenal egoism, origi- 
nating and initiating by and from the organ- 
ism in which it is potentially active. 

No organism inferior to man in organ- 
ized functionality is competant to this sub- 
jective, volitional mentality. Animals be- 
low the human attain the goal of their evolu- 
tion role in their competancy to organic de- 
velopment; their highest function is bearer 
or depository and exhibitor of that objective 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 97 

psychism, unique in kind and degree of activ- 
ity effecting the functional in physiologic 
phenomena, and marking the distinction in 
the inorganic and the living. 

The assertion is ventured that the con- 
ception of mind here set forth will aid ma- 
terially in attainment of a more correct or- 
ganic philosophy, and by exposition of error 
in past and current thinking in the depart- 
ments of science involved. 

Even the late Mr. Herbert Spencer, per- 
haps the greatest of modern thinkers, seems 
not to have attained a correct or adequate 
conception of the mind in potential activity, 
witness when he speaks of ''An object 
known to have wrought on "^ "^ "^ con- 
sciousness a certain group of changes/ etc.^ 
Now, the potential and its initiation in 
activity effecting the phenomenon in ques- 
tion — ''a group or groups of changes in 
consciousness'' — originate in and by the 
mind or consciousness as ego. Conscious- 
ness is not passive, being ''wrought upon,'' 
and by an ''object'' the lesser producing the 
♦See First Principles, p. 151. 



98 THE METAPHYSICS 

greater. No interpretation is possible of any 
phenomenon of mind or mentation, on such 
a conception of the factors or agencies and 
their activities. Rather the mind is the 
agent effecting these changes in conscious- 
ness, this being the response of the potential 
entity to the action at a distance of the 
object or body. The mind as the ego is 
regal and dominant in its own kingdom, and 
not passive and wrought upon. Again, on 
page 186, it is asserted as ''a conspicuous 
fact that mental action is contingent on the 
presence of a certain nervous apparatus/ etc. 
This is a half-truth only, which needs de- 
fining and limiting before accepting, as this 
discussion has endeavored to show. Of 
course this half-truth is held as the truth 
on the basis of the brain as the organ of 
mind. But the mind has no such limited 
and limiting organ as that would prove to 
be. The brain is the seat and centre of 
energy, whence initiates impulse to activity. 
This is the role of the brain, or so-called 
headquarters of the nervous apparatus. Its 
further role of association with and con- 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 99 

tingency to intellectuality is matter for fur- 
ther designation and determination. The 
association of the nervous substance and 
structures, and the contingency of their ac- 
tion to mental action are certainly secondary 
to its magisterial role as center and organ 
of sensuous and motor impulse. Its regal 
function may be achieved in complete ab- 
straction from relation to or co-operation 
with intellectuality. The association and co- 
action of nerve-ganglion or centres is only 
mediate^ and in relation zvith its primal 
fnnction, truths which are evident in the 
nature of the organ, and in the facts of its 
activities. Mere animals immediately and 
otherwise below man have this organ, and 
in full complement of its primal function, 
as in man himself. Its role in intellectual 
functions (for these are functions rather 
than actions, or processes), in the sense and 
degree of nervous action contingent to con- 
sciousness and intellection, would constitute 
this supererogate to the primal function. The 
brain is misconceived and mis-or over-inter- 
preted as the organ of mind. Estimate of 



lOO THE METAPHYSICS 

the nature and the significance of its associa- 
tion with mind and soul needs to be recon- 
ceived and constructed. And when so re- 
vised and reconstructed the primal design 
and function and potential of the cortex of 
the cerebrum and their centers, with their 
prolongations, may be discovered to be ex- 
tended in heterogeneity and complexity of 
their functional potentiality, giving com- 
petance to response to the higher evolutional 
demands in the added or evolved superero- 
gate suggested. Nevertheless, the primal 
function and role of the organ, the brain, 
will remain in its regality, and its extended 
function in association Avith intellectuality 
is the higher, yet temporary and passing 
glory and role of its supererogative.^ And 
do not these facts and their significance for- 
ever brush away the figment of ''thought, a 
secretion of the brain/' and all like incon- 
sonant and incongruous notions? 

A notable and comparatively new depar- 
ture in the realm of intellectualitv and 



*The repetitive use of this term saves time 
and, ink! 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. loi 

morals is the splendid ''purposive/' and the 
means employed in attainment of those ends, 
in the work of Professor E. Gates of the 
Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D. C, 
namely, the building up, so termed, of brain 
structures in the effort to modify and im- 
prove the character of youth. The distinction 
in kind of the factors and objective to be dealt 
with, 'The Mind and the Brain,'' is a point 
vital in the extreme in its bearing on the 
proposition in purpose. The psychic phen- 
omenon is the objective to be affected in 
change and modification, and only rn so far 
as the conception of the soul and mind, in 
nature and characteristics and mode in con- 
sciousness, and in the effecting of changes 
and groups of changes in these, approaches 
the real and veritable, may the proposition 
in question be hopeful in promise. This in- 
volves almost as specifically and vitally the 
question of the relation of brain action to 
mental function. And the question, how far 
this relation in association, and in function 
of contingency goes, and the potential of 
these in the mind phenomenon is of the 



I02 THE METAPHYSICS 

highest moment. To the best of the writer's 
obtained information the work of the above 
institution is pregnant with promise. ^^ 

Mr. Luther Burbank, who has achieved 
such wonderful results in changes in mor- 
phology — and even more than mere morphol- 
ogy — of flowers and fruits, has at least sug- 
gested probability of like achievements with 
the ''human plant.'' 

Even m his first purposive — change in 
the form and external of the plant, he wisely 
manipulated, mediately, the plant forces of 
hereditary vitality. Of his modus operandi 
in regard to manipulation of the human 
plant I have little or no information. 

In some work done in the Chicago Uni- 
versity, and later in that of California, and 
still prosecuted by Professors Loeb and 
Mathews, in manipulation, etc., of phenom- 
ena involving the ''nervous apparatus,'' and 
the phenomenon of reproduction, in induced 
parthenogenesis, the chemical and electrical 
forces are the ones brought into requisition. 



*See The Mind and the Brain, Theosophical 
Publication Company, New York. 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 



103 



The purpose put into execution, at least in 
the earher years, was, confessedly, the ma- 
nipulation and control of organic phenomena 
sectionally, a quite limited proposition in the 
case, to be sure, and, of course, with results 
accordingly. But when the purpose was en- 
larged to embrace and promise the produc- 
tion of foods — vegetables and fruits— with 
expected potency and promise of the for- 
mation of life in animal organization, ap- 
parently without cognate enlargement of the 
purposive in use of other than the chemical 
and laboratory forces and factors which had 
evidenced competance to modification in ma- 
nipulation of the very limited sectional part 
of life phenomena, then, to be sure, a will-o'- 
the-wisp arose. Hence the unscientific 
proposition of the synthesis of foods, and 
the equally unscientific position in attempt to 
give ''a physical explanation of life.'' 

The relevancy and cognation of the special 
points to which, perhaps, apparent drifting 
in our argument has led, may yet be per- 
ceived, and a further word be permitted in 



I04 THE METAPHYSICS 

reinforcement of position and demurrer in- 
volved. 

Two lines of thought will evidence valid- 
ity in demurrer and antagonism to the 
pseudo-science averred.^ First: A syn- 
thetic achievement, in factor and process, is 
that alone to which simple chemistry and the 
constructed laboratory are competant, and a 
synthesis is not a counterpart of physiologic 
growth. The former is impotential to the 
efifecting of the latter, a kind in force being 
a missing factor in the synthesis. This has 
been evidenced in the earlier sections of this 
discussion. Second : Because it is demon- 
strated by the factors and facts in the 
phenomenon of growth, as in all organic 
phenomena, that there is in verital existence 
and operation an objective psychic factor and 
potential, effective in direction and control of 
the material factors and processes in the 



*See the author's critique of ''Some of the 
Present-Day Problems of Biological Chemistry, 
(Professor Chittendon) in Medical Fortnightly, 
St. Louis, August, 1908. Also "Development of 
Life by Expert Chemistry," to appear in American 
Medicine, New York. 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 



105 



phenomena of a living thing. A synthetic 
process and phenomenon is minus this factor 
and potential. This is the secret in attain- 
ment of the congeried cycling of the physi- 
cal processes zuith function achieved, unique 
to living phenomena, ''crystalization'' itself 
having no semblance of it. And to speak 
of ''a principle of crystalization, or a prin- 
ciple of fire, as much as a principle of life/' 
(John Burroughs), may be dismissed as 
hasty and short-thoughted. 

Truly, it is this psychic factor and quality 
which is the distinguishing characteristic of 
the organic or living realm. 

Truly, also, is it that this psychic factor 
and quality in heterogenetic focus and con- 
centration, contingent to the subjectivity 
constituting the egoism of personality, is the 
essential in the pyramidal and kingly estate 
which is man's rightful and sufficient crown 
of rejoicing. 

My closing thought and word must be of 
the davv^ning and coming into entity of this 
human soul. This has verity, and also mode 
and means. 



lo6 THE METAPHYSICS 

The soul comes into entity and thus be- 
comes identical^ for there must be periods 
as to point of origin. When the focus of 
heredity in source is attained then the soul 
dawns, and identitality is achieved. The 
mother in an unique sense is the instrument 
and means in this. She is the arsenal, so to 
say, of accumulation of the streams of hered- 
itary potencies, now to issue forth in another 
and a new psychism in destiny. Paternal- 
ism fills an equally large role, but only in 
a sense, and with a significance which con- 
servative thought may determine.* Con- 
fluence and focus of all heredity with which 
the soul to be will be endowed is consumated 
in conception. Afterwards the mother is 
regal in model instrumentality in soul dawn- 
ing, and, in a sense and manner well nigh 
overwhelming to contemplation, in determi- 
nation to destiny. 

The dawning soul is a plastic thing, and 
the mother-role and power in the immedi- 



*See the author's study, Is a human partheno- 
genesis a Possibility In Science? "The Word," 
Theosophical Society, New York. 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 107 

ately after-birth time is of marvelous effec- 
tiveness in psychic manipulation. Literature 
abounds as to embryologic period and possi- 
biHty, but not of this equally important time. 

In the souFs dawning, like the opening of 
the bud into the flower, the mother as no 
other soul may, in soul ways, and by 
psychic manipulation, open, call out, direct 
and aid by influence in stimuli, and give 
direction to the coming into entity and activ- 
ity of the potencies and evolution possibili- 
ties of her child. Or, she may leave unaided, 
or even misdirect and distort and mar, 
rendering knotted and knarled, an abortion 
or a monstrosity what might have been 
symmetrical and graceful in its proportions, 
and altogether a thing of beauty and a joy 
forever. Oh! the importance and possibili- 
ties of these first months and dual or so of 
natal years! Determinative and destinal to 
the child, potential and possible in the hands 
of the mother, and in that in w^hich her 
v/hole soul and life are involved and com- 
mitted. 

And what mother in a thousand is of such 



io8 THE METAPHYSICS 

entail of heredity (father, too) as to offer 
the best of promise in impartation of soul 
qualities? And what mother in ten thou- 
sand is equipped and efficient to this function 
and event in soul dawning? The need of 
the race and of the hour is competant 
motherhood. Large, Rooseveltian families 
if you will, but of a grade and strain in 
heredity little thought of and less attempted 
as yet. The redemption and reclamation of 
the human race in this primal and basic 
sense is in solvemently of this soul problem, 
and in quality and competancy of mother- 
hood. 

What does woman want, a ''sphere''? 
Here it is ! Even the gods may envy her. 

A competent mother is the highest 
achievement of cosmic source and endow- 
ment thru and in organic evolution. 

When the last enduring canvas and color- 
ing and marble bearing the world's greatest 
and renowned artists' creations shall have 
centuries and ages ago crumbled into dis- 
integration, the mother's achievements shall 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. 109 

be but in the beginnings of their evolutional 
realization. 

The work of teacher and institute — and 
the inspiration and moral purification and 
rebirth of soul, only in role, and in appre- 
hension of their meaning and significance, in 
the realm of the religious and spiritual — all 
of this is to follow, and is supplemental to 
that of soul dawning, and motherhood in 
efficiency. But all of this that may follow 
will be curtailed and limited in effectiveness 
and results by lack and inefficiency in 
motherhood in the prior. 

ADDENDA. 

Any view or doctrine of the nature of the 
soul or of human psychology, with animal 
psychology, so-called, that has not taken in- 
to account the facts and points emphasized 
in the system of philosophy of M. Bergson 
in his latest w^ork, ''L' Evolution Creatrice,'' 
is premature and incompetent. New con- 
ceptions with facts long know^n are uniquely 
presented, constituting a formidable array 
against the heretofore favorably received 
systems of cosmic philosophy, and particu- 



no THE METAPHYSICS 

larly the modern trend of thought to which 
these have led. His main position puts him 
in antagonism with all interpretations of the 
organic and even cosmic phenomenon on the 
basis of a principle of mechanism. Life is 
absolutely inexplainable thus, and must be. 
Intellectual processes thus interpreted fail to 
account for the process of evolution, itself 
being a part of the evolution phenomenon. 

Knowledge, the basis of intellectual pro- 
cesses, gives the power to handle or domi^ 
nate the inert, the material, and this brings 
us face to face with something that is abso- 
lute and real, as against all else which is but 
apparent and relative. It is something other 
than and back of the intellectual, something 
supra-physical, and even supra-intellectual. 

The mental processes are a ''specialized 
and organized department" of the life phe- 
nomenon. "The theory of life and the the- 
ory of knowledge are mutually dependent — ■ 
part of one whole.'' It is shown that ''the 
unchanging me is created by the increment 
of the experiences of the ens rationis/' but is 
distinct from these, "A sort of self-rolling 



OF THE NATURE, ETC. m 

snowball determining its own direction ac- 
cording to the new exigences of each mo- 
ment. . . . The self never stops tolling' 
and growing. . . . We drag the grow- 
ing totality of our past experience — personal 
and hereditary — along with us at every step. 
The brain is an organ of action rather than 
thought. It is no repository of images and 
ideas. . . . An unending process of self- 
creation — that is what . . . existence 
means." 

Intelligence was formed, created on the 
basis of matter, ''made for matter," and so 
unable to get at the reality of life, conscious- 
ness, etc., hence, as already said, something 
ultra to the intellect is supposed and neces- 
sitated (at least so I take it), and ''that in 
every way the process of life, like that of 
our conscious existence, is one of inventive, 
creative self-evolution." The "complex de- 
vise of the eye ... is the invention and 
creation of that consciousness, that vital ef- 
fort ('elan) of which intelligence itself is an 
invention and specialization, and which we 



112 THE METAPHYSICS 

attain immediately and intuitively in our 
diffused self-consciousness." 

The foregoing remarks are suggested by, 
and the excerpts are from a review of M. 
Bergson's volume, in the January issue of 
The Hibbert Quarterly Journal, by the Rev. 
G. Tyrrell. The few disjointed quotations 
are made and here recorded because of their 
evident support of the position taken by the 
present writer in this brochure. They have 
a basis in fact, which cannot be ignored. 
M. Bergson's conclusions reached from an 
a priori standpoint and proceedure reinforce 
the writer's a posteriori attained conception 
and position — an apology for so brief a ref- 
erence to so important a work the review of 
it coming to hand after the M. S. was 
finished. 



DEC 391^^?^ 



One copy del. to Cat. Div. 



e^rii\ 



LIBRARY OF 



CONGRESS 




014 650 067 5 



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